After conferring with the water treatment plant sludge removal experts at UMPS, the town’s consultant pilot-tested Geotube® containers and found, with SmartFeed™** chemical conditioning, this technology provided the highest economy by volume for reduction of sludge.

The town engineer designed a lay-down area based on the size of Geotube® containers needed for one year’s estimated volume of alum sludge wasting. The lay-down pad’s designed elevation allowed for collection of filtrates, which drained back to the head works of the settling basins. A hydrant and electrical power disconnect were installed near the lay-down pad for SmartFeed™ chemical conditioning equipment needs.

A bi-annual alum sludge dewatering schedule was proposed by the consultant; a SmartFeed™ processing trailer would be shipped to the plant, connected in one day to the provided utilities, and be ready to receive sludge the following day from the basin pumping operation.

The town purchased Geotube® containers and installed interconnecting pipe manifolds, allowing several tubes to receive flow. Sludge pumping consisting of rocks, sticks and leaves, utilized the town’s excavator to both mix the sludge and position the portable centrifuge pump, achieving flow rates of 300-800 gpm, with slurry solids of 1-6 percent.

The SmartFeed® technology maintained necessary dosage rates and daily project data acquisition without upset, resulting in filtrate capture rates of 24 NTUs discharging to the basin head works, and cake solids achieving 34 percent dry solids after several weeks of drainage.

*Geotube® is a registered trademark of TenCate™ and is used with permission.
**SmartFeed™ is a patent-pending technology of Mineral Processing Services, LLC.